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Goodwood Revival is the only motor racing event to be staged entirely in period dress. Celebrating the glamour of car racing during Goodwood’s heyday as a motor circuit between 1948-1966, petrol heads and vintage fashion enthusiasts, alike, hit the grandstands in 40s, 50s and 60s attire. The styling has become as important as the cars on the track.

Although not compulsory, the vast majority of visitors choose to embrace the theme to complement the 300 actors and actresses on-site dressed in full vintage regalia. Attention to detail and wit behind ensembles is applauded, and could earn guests a place on the best dressed shortlist.

So, to make sure you look the part in Goodwood’s step-back-in-time spectacle, and be in with a chance of winning a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, we quizzed Goodwood’s theatrical and costume curator, Sue O’Donoghue, on how to orchestrate head-turning Revival looks. Here’s your beginner’s guide to Goodwood vintage...

How do I start pulling together an authentic vintage look?

“Firstly, choose your favourite era. Secondly, do a Google search to get a feel for the general style of the decade,” says O’Donoghue. “Make sure you are looking at British fashion though, because Goodwood Revival is very much a British celebration. We always have guests dressed as Elvis or Austin Powers and it’s not quite what we had in mind - we’re purists!”

In a nutshell, what was the style of the 40s, 50s and 60s?

“Due to wartime rationing, the Forties saw a lot of considered tailoring. Detail on suits was in the nips, tucks and folds so that not much fabric was needed. This suiting was contrasted with simple tea dresses that were never full because of the short cloth supply.”

“The Fifties saw the end of rationing, so everyone went absolutely mad!” says O’Donoghue. “Full round skirts and voluminous petticoats were du jour because it was simply joyous to be extravagant with fashion!”

And the Sixties, Sue tells us, were all about daring trends introduced by teenagers, which were a new phenomenon. “Until the Sixties, young people were a mirror image of their parents. The freedom of the decade, which gave girls the contraceptive pill, meant that teenagers went the opposite of their parents, and everything went a lot shorter and skimpier!”

Where should I go vintage shopping?

Though Sue is never off-duty, she recommends charity shops and eBay as fail safe places to scout vintage gems. “One of my little trade secrets,” she divulges, “is to search for ‘true vintage’ on eBay. For some reason the word ‘true’ gives you a much better result than ‘genuine’ or ‘real’. Though there are vintage fashion fairs all over the country, Sue recommends also searching for ‘kilo sales’, where you pay for clothes by the kilogram and can pick up some real gems that way.

How do I know a great vintage piece when I see one?

“Scan along a rail and see which piece sings to you,” says Sue. “Usually for me it’s the print, but it could be the fabric or extra detail peeping out.” Next, check the quality of the piece. “If it’s a really old dress or shirt, look at the underarm because that is where it’s weakest. If it’s fraying there then it won’t survive and you won’t be able to repair it.” The lining and collar are also crucial points to check before purchasing.

Above all though, be wary of what the item is labelled as. “Avoid anything that is ‘retro vintage’ because those two words don’t mean the same thing. If a seller says something is retro it means that it was made recently in a traditional style. If a seller says something is vintage it should mean it was physically made in that era. Dealers labelling items as ‘retro vintage’ don’t know what they are talking about.”

What if I can’t find anything vintage that suits me?

“Try not to be too worried about vintage shopping, as it’s very easy to get the Revival look without being too strict,” says Sue. “Buy a simple shift dress in a nice print and put a white hair band in your hair. Add a pair of ballet pumps and some white tights and you’re done! It’s easy to make a modern piece of clothing look vintage with the right accessories, and hair and make-up.”

How do I store my vintage pieces so they last?

“If you buy a genuine vintage piece don’t put it in your wardrobe until you have placed it in your freezer in a plastic bag for two weeks,” says Sue, who calls her dedicated clothes freezer the ‘moth coffin’. Having tried all the cedar cubes and anti-moth potions on the market, Sue can confirm that the only thing to kill the beasts, and their well-hidden eggs, is freezing them.